


The List

by Miss_Murdered



Series: SouMako Ficlets [19]
Category: Free!
Genre: Boys Kissing, Brooding!Sousuke, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-04
Updated: 2015-07-04
Packaged: 2018-04-07 16:16:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4269849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Murdered/pseuds/Miss_Murdered
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sousuke struggles to make a decision and makes a list to make it easier...</p>
            </blockquote>





	The List

“Thought I’d find you here.”

The only noise, until a scant few moments ago, had been the sound of the waves and the seabirds. It had been a relaxing moment, a solitary moment and Sousuke had been enjoying it. Until he looked up to see his best friend, his eyes drifting up from the red sneakers up to his face with the slight smirk. Rin didn’t need an invitation, nor did he wait for Sousuke to respond, instead all he did was sit down alongside him on the dock, letting his feet dangle just as Sousuke was doing, the water far below them.

It was a beautiful evening, the sun warm but not too warm as it began to set, and Sousuke had been sitting looking out at the horizon, his breathing calm and his heart beat level. He felt at peace. Or he had felt at peace until Rin’s arrival. He’d wanted to think alone. He didn’t want Rin’s opinions. But he figured he was going to get them whether he wanted them or not.

“How’d you find me?” Sousuke asked, his voice low and rumbling, barely audible above the lapping of the waves.

“It’s the only place I’m sure you can find by yourself. I figured it was the best bet.”

Sousuke elbowed Rin, hard, in the ribs for his jest about Sousuke’s sense of direction. To be fair, it was accurate – Sousuke  _did_ have a terrible sense of direction yet still it didn’t mean he deserved all the mocking for it.

“Oi!” Rin complained and then shoulder bumped back, the gesture perhaps not as hard as he would’ve done when they were younger and when Sousuke had been invincible. Before the injury.

“You deserved it.”

“Yeah…, well, I figured you might need someone to talk to eventually so I’m here.”

Sousuke grunted. He didn’t really want to talk as such. He’d come here to be alone, to think and so Rin’s company was not entirely appreciated but then he’d been sat for an hour and he’d done nothing but kept unfolding and re-folding the piece of paper and putting back into his hoodie pocket. So maybe talking might be somewhat useful.

Sighing, Sousuke grabbed the list from his pocket and unfolded it carefully, the paper now becoming fragile due to the amount of times he’d played with it since he’d written the list. As the paper was divided into two columns roughly and each column had a list underneath it. The list was the pros and cons. And Sousuke had come up with quite a few of each.

Rin was looking over Sousuke’s shoulder and made a “tch” noise at Sousuke’s list to which Sousuke turned to his friend.

“I’ll throw you in the water,” he threatened.

“Sure you will,” Rin replied, a smile on his face, “but first get some help as clearly… you need it.”

He knew he did. Sousuke’s future was a vague thing – his life stretched out ahead of him without a path or plan and so  _this_ seemed even more baffling to him. His head just wasn’t in the right place and making any decision right now just seemed… foolish. Too damn soon. And Sousuke didn’t want to screw things up. Not again. Not like his swimming career.

“I just…” Sousuke sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “I’m just not sure what I want to do. I don’t want to hold him back.”

“So moving with him to Tokyo is going to hold him back, huh?”

Sousuke shrugged. “I’m just going to be  _there_ and he’s going to be focusing on studying and I’ll just be in the damn way.”

“Geez, Sou… sometimes I think you don’t even know your damn boyfriend.”

Rin’s comment jarred and Sousuke felt his hand jerk, tempted to lash out as his friend for the casual way he said things.

“Sou…” Rin continued, his tone quieter, “Makoto  _loves_ you. Shit… you love him, right?”

Nodding, Sousuke let his body relax again, his fingers still gripping the paper that was now even more crumpled. “Yeah.”

“Then why are you making a list to decide whether to go with him? You  _want_ to go with him, don’t you?”

“Yeah…” he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Then what the hell are you doing? You have no plans… you love the guy… why are you sat here looking all broody?”

Sousuke frowned and looked at his list. On it were the pros and cons. He almost smiled at the stupidity of his list as there at the top of the “pros” was “being with Makoto everyday”, “no twins or Rin interruptions”, “sex” and “chance to move to a city and find a job/career”. On the cons was “being in the way of Makoto”, “not having a job or anything to do”, “too much too soon?”

He knew it wasn’t too much. Yeah, they were young but Makoto made Sousuke feel like home – made him feel like he belonged and Sousuke was never going to give that up. Not because he was afraid he would be forgotten. As Makoto wasn’t like that. He’d never been like that and Sousuke couldn’t see Makoto change that much. So assured, Sousuke nodded and looked at the list one more time before giving Rin a small smile.

“I’ll say I’ll go,” he said softly and he felt Rin clap his hand on his back.

“You go tell him… he’s worrying himself sick about this. Worrying he’s scared you away or something… Haru was saying…”

Sousuke felt a lump in his throat develop as since Makoto had mentioned the joint move to Tokyo, Sousuke had ignored his boyfriend as he tried to figure it out and he couldn’t imagine what Makoto must’ve thought. He felt guilty as he heard the movement of Rin beside him, his friend getting to his feet.

“I gotta go now my words of wisdom have been listened to… just go see him… soon, okay?”

Rin didn’t give Sousuke time to respond, instead, he walked away and Sousuke watched his slow stroll before he turned back to the note in his fingertips. Making his decision, Sousuke ripped the note and let it fall, the paper falling to the water below and floating on the surface before it began to sink, the words gone.

Wasting no more time, Sousuke got to his feet and made the walk to Makoto’s home, his head clear and bright and his body thrumming in anticipation as he thought about their potential future. Sousuke thought about how he could get a job and how he’d cook for Makoto and how they’d fall asleep in a small bed in a small apartment at the end of each day. He saw it all in his head as he knocked on the Tachibana’s door and he was disappointed briefly when it was Ren who answered the door rather than Makoto.

“Sousuke’s here!”

His disappointment did not last long as there was Makoto – Makoto dressed casually in a baggy t-shirt and shorts. Makoto with eyes that didn’t seem entirely welcoming. Makoto who ushered the twins out of the way and stepped out of the home so he could speak to Sousuke privately, closing the door behind them.

“What -” Makoto began but Sousuke stopped him, the words tumbling from his lips.

“I’m coming with you.”

Makoto’s eyebrows raised, his expression shocked for a moment before Sousuke clarified.

“I’m coming to Tokyo.”

“Really?” Makoto asked, his voice a little sceptical.

Sousuke nodded. “I just…” he began but his voice faltered, “I just…needed to realise I wouldn’t be in your way.”

Instead of looking at Makoto, Sousuke was looking at his shoes and he heard the exhale of breath from Makoto before he felt fingers on his jaw. Makoto made him look up and Sousuke saw the smile – the honest genuine smile and Sousuke smiled in turn to that, unable not to.

“You’d never be in my way.”

Shrugging, Sousuke gave a half smile and scratched at the back of his neck. “Someone needed to tell me that.”

Makoto laughed, the sound soft and Sousuke couldn’t resist then, he had to reach out and touch the soft fabric of Makoto’s t-shirt, drag him close enough so he could press his lips lightly against Makoto’s, the brush quick and soft due to their location but enough. A promise. A promise of what was to come. As they had a whole new life ahead of them and Sousuke knew that there would be pros and cons to it but it didn’t matter. As they would be together.


End file.
